What Makes the Victorian Style So Iconic?

Interior home design can be complicated, but throughout the many changes in styles, certain design elements have remained strong and an enduring love of these schemes continues today. One of the most iconic and still highly popular design styles is Victorian, but what makes the Victorian style so iconic? The answers are many, but here are just a few reasons why your next home makeover should include Victorian style elements.

A Mix of Styles

One of the most notable ideals surrounding the Victorian style is the notion of mixing various styles, colours and textures to create this eclectic scheme. Architects of the Victorian era anchored this style by classic Gothic architecture and gave it a little more flare by adding in both French and Italian design influences. The result ensured that each Victorian style home was uniquely individual from one another, as each designer took specific elements from each style choice. Those that have the luxury of owning one of the true Victorian homes nowadays are ensured of a well-crafted and beautifully built home for a lifetime, as Victorian houses were very much constructed to stand the test of time.

Not An Average Every Day Home

Designers of Victorian style homes utilised a complicated design featuring asymmetrical shape that is a stark contrast to the boxy design of many homes today. These homes were built for style rather than quickly and cost effectivity. Curves are a unique part of a true Victorian home and can be seen in the favoured rounded windows, gabled roofing and even wrap around porches that give Victorian homes a unique and awe-inspiring appearance. The statement grandeur design started at the doorstep and continued thorough out.

Use of Colour

When viewing a Victorian home from the outside, you will surely notice it is unique in design, but often in colour as well. Ornate and vibrant colors were traditionally used in these homes to officiate the status of homeowners. The notion was not merely on the outside of the home, but on the inside as well. Beautifully ornate furnishings are seen throughout a Victorian home with an abundance of vivid colours accented by gilded gold pieces.

Spires

Viewing a Victorian home from the outside, you will likely notice unique architectural aspects. One of these is the spire. Depending on the actual Victorian style used during construction, a spire may be square shaped as in the Gothic Revival Victorian Style or rounded in the later Queen Anne Victorian style homes, but these spires are not merely for show. Inside you will find a stair case leading up to the top with sitting areas ornately decorated and devoted to offering homeowners and guests the best views in the house. Whether located on the coast or in a historic city, a Victorian Home’s spire is a truly iconic and functional symbol of the times.

A Warm, Rich Feeling

When walking into a true Victorian home, you will ultimately feel the rich nature of the space due to its ornate and opulent design, but a Victorian style home is not merely about the richest and most expensive furnishings. It is all about feeling at home with warm elements such as cozy sitting areas and inviting spaces. Period furniture such as iron beds and Queen Anne sofas offered comfort for the family and guests as well.

Antique Tile Flooring

If you want to invest perfectly in your Victorian style home, antique tile flooring is the ideal way to do it. Antique tiles were used in traditional Victorian homes for their opulence and optimal durability. Antique tile flooring is sourced from buildings and homes either being renovated, refurbished or demolished and has become a very desirable feature to add to your home. Encaustic antique tiles come in a vast choice of designs, shades and patterns and have the added longevity for heard wearing footfall areas due to the nature of being sealed and cared for many years previously.  Do however be aware that many tile suppliers simply market new tiles as antique so it’s always best to obtain samples and research your retailers thoroughly. When shopping for antique tiles for your Victorian style home, Maitland & Poate is your trusted online antique cement tile retailer.

Maitland & Poate

At Maitland & Poate, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with premium antique flooring options including cement tiles, glazed tiles, antique tiles, and lime paints. With our seemingly endless supply of reclaimed floor tiles, you can tile an entire home or simply use a few for accent tiles in your bathrooms and kitchens.

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